Torque wrench and gear-driven wrench adapter



Oct, 2, 1951 Filed Dec. 5&2, 1945 J. R. WELLS TORQUE WRENCH AND GEAR DRIVEN WRENCH ADAPTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN ENTOR. rs MM:

ATTORNEYE Oct. 2, 1951 J, R WELLS 2,569,509

TORQUE WRENCH AND GEAR DRIVEN WRENCH ADAPTER Filed Dec. 12, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 5/ I g 2.2 III 48 Oct. 2, 1951 J. R. WELLS TORQUE WRENCH AND GEAR DRIVEN WRENCH ADAPTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 12, 1945 INVENTOR. (fame; f we;

Patented Oct. 2, 1951 TORQUE WRENCH AND GEAR-DRIVEN WRENCH ADAPTER James R. Wells, Dayton, Ohio Application December 12, 1945, Serial No. 634,480

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 2 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to wrench mechanism and particularly to a device for increasing the torque applying capacity of a given wrench.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive gear mechanism for increasing the mechanical advantage of a standard wrench without increasin the length of its power arm, to the end that a wrench of normal length and weight may be made to do the work of one of much greater length and weight.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon a consideration of the following description when read with reference to the drawing, wherein,

Fig. 1 is an axial section through a device embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bearing support within which the rotatable portion of my device operates, part of the support being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rotatable portion of my device, part being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the retaining nut which holds the bearing support Fig. 2 in place on the propeller nose. This nut is a permanent part of the propeller hub. Part of thenut is broken away for clearness.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pinion to which a standard wrench may be applied.

Fig. 6 shows both the standard and the special graduation which may be put -on the torque wrench.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The embodiment of my invention herein shown for illustrative purposes is particularly adapted for tightening the propeller retaining nut l0 in an aircraft engine.

The forward end of the propeller hub I2 which supports the blade shanks I4 is internally threaded at l6 for the propeller dome retaining nut l8 which has wrench lugs l9 (see Fig. 4) for screwing it into place. In the drawing, Fig. 1, the propeller dome has been removed from its place in the end of the hub l2, preparatory to putting the device into use. The bearing support 20, which is made up of a cylindrical portion 22 and a flange 24. welded together at 26, is put in place of the propeller dome and fastened ybythe nut I8.

The .pins 28, also a part of thepropeller hub, are

used to assist in the location and retention of the bearin support. Bushings 29 are press fitted in the flange 24 to receive the pins 28.

Concentrically supported within the bearing support 20 is a cylindrical nut engaging member 30 which is made up of a cylindrical portion 32 having internal nut engaging splines 34 starting at the rear end of the cylindrical portion 32 and ending in the groove 35, for engaging external splines 39 on the nut I 0, and a gear 36 having external teeth 3'! on the front end which is welded to the member 30 at 38.

Antifriction bearings 40 on the cylindrical portion 32 have their inner races spaced apart by a relatively thin sleeve 42, the bearings and sleeve being secured against axial movement on the member 32 by the gear 36 and a spring ring 44 which rests in a groove 45.

Theouter races of the bearings 40 are spaced apart by a sleeve 46 and held against axial movement in the member 22 by an annular inwardly extending integral rib 48 and a spring ring 49 which rests in a groove 5 I.

The pinion 50 has teeth 52 in continuous engagement with the teeth 31 0f the gear 36 and an integral journal 54 whichis rotatable in the bearing lug 56 which is welded to the cylindrical member 22 as at 58. The journal 54 is held against axial movement in the lug 56 by a nut 60 i and washer 62. The outer end 64 of the pinion 50 is somewhat enlarged and provided internally with a square socket 66 which is adapted to re-- ceive the squared end 68 of a standard torque indicating wrench 10, that is, standard except for r the additional indicia H of the dial 12 (see Fig.

Gear Pinion pounds on the nut ID. The standard graduation 13 may be left on the wrench so that it may be used when the wrench is removed from the herein disclosed gear mechanism.

Havin described an embodiment of my invention, I claim: I

1. A torque applying mechanism for tightening a propeller shaft nut comprising, a tubular bearing support, an annular flange at the inner end of said tubular bearing support dimensioned and shaped to fit into a propeller nose cap recess in a propeller, means to prevent relative rotation or axial movement between said flange and said recess, a cylindrical propeller shaft nut-engaging member concentrically positioned within said tubular bearing support, a gear rigidly secured on the outer end of said propeller shaft nut engagin member, propeller shaft nut engaging means internally of said member at the inner end thereof, antifriction bearing means between said tubular bearing support and the said propeller shaft nut engaging member, a pinion bearing lug extending radially from said cylindrical bearing support adjacent to said gear, a pinion rotatably supported in said lug and in mesh-with said gear, and torque wrench engaging means rigidly connected to said pinion.

2. A torque applying mechanism for tightening a propeller shaft nut on an aircraft, which comprises, in combination, a torque, wrench and a torque increasing gearset for reducing the effort which must be applied to said wrench to produce a given torque on said propeller shaft nut, said torque. wrench being provided with a special raduation, and said torque increasing gearset comprising a tubular bearing support having an outwardly extending flange at the rear end dimensioned and shaped to fit into the propeller nose cap recess of the propeller of an airplane from which the propeller nose cap has been removed, a cylindrical propelled shaft nut-engaging member concentrically positioned within the said tubularbearing support, a gear rigidly secured on the front end of said propeller shaft nut-engaging member, internal splines on the rear end of said propeller shaft, nut-engaging member for engaging the external splines which are carried on a propeller shaft nut, antifriction bearings having the outer races fast in the bearing support and their inner races fast on the propeller shaft nut engaging member, a pinion bearing lug eccentrically positioned on and fixedly secured to the forward end of the cylindrical bearing support, a pinion having its axis parallel to the axis of said gear in mesh with said gear and having rotative bearing in said pinion bearing lug, and socket means disengageably connecting said pinion to said torque wrench, the said special graduation on said torque wrench having the indicia of its graduation increased in value as compared to that normally on the torque wrench in the ratio of No. of teeth in pinion JAMES R. WELLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

